


When they Cry

by Melba



Category: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | Higurashi When They Cry, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Creepy, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Murder, Mystery, Romance, aot - Freeform, eren is a little ho, snk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-12-07
Packaged: 2018-02-11 06:59:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2058363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melba/pseuds/Melba
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>!!INCOMPLETE!! I'm really sorry but I don't plan on finishing this. </p><p>An AU where Eren, a sightseeing backpacker, ends up in the mysterious town of Hinamizawa for what he thinks will be an interesting and fun festival. Little does he know what awaits him there.<br/>Caught up in what seems like a never ending curse, can this young boy and his friends save their own lives and escape from the village? </p><p>Pretty much all the shippings. Lots of Yandere crushes on Eren too. Let's see how long he survives. You don't have to know anything about Higurashi to understand this fic.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning: The Village and the girl.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I hope this makes sense, and I hope I don't get too carried away. I just really like horror, creepiness and gore. 
> 
> Also if you think this should be rated M then please say, I wasn't too sure. May have to change it later on depending on how steamy the romance gets and/or how violent it gets. I'll try keep it suitable for most people, but as SNK is already a pretty gorey and nihilistic anime/manga, then my fic will probably follow suite. But don't worry, there'll be plenty of romance in there too amongst all the blood.

* * *

 

           Stumbling wearily through the undergrowth, Eren finally caught sight of the town. It had been a heck of a long week, but the young traveler had finally reached it. Sitting snugly in its valley, grey smoke rose slowly from chimneys of ancient dwellings. A blue river snaked past the old buildings. Over a bridge on the other side rose new buildings, uniform and clean. It was a small place, but the surroundings were stunning. Tall green grass and wild flowers grew all across the hillsides, untouched by human hand. The river continued to flow past the two sides of the town, and ended up in a lake nearby. It was a vast lake. Unlike the town, however, it was not so well kept; the water taking on a rather sludgy brown appearance. Maybe it was to do with the minerals in the rocks or something, Eren thought. In the early light of day, the area of Hinamizawa looked cheerful and welcoming. Above him, the sun beamed gently down - still heating the cool morning air. The young traveler was glad; he'd been hiking for a whole week without any idea of where he was. The village wasn't exactly easy to find; the area around it had no landmarks. In fact, Eren had grown rather worried after seven days of continuous forest. Dark, lifeless trees that creaked and groaned at night in the wind. The wind whispered in his ear, and groaned through the cracks in the trees. In total, the boy had probably only slept a total of 20 hours over the week. But he'd finally reached his next destination - and early at that. Eren hadn't come across any homes or inns on his way to Hinamizawa at all, and so he'd reached the place a whole week earlier than he had intended. The poor boy had also been so frightened at night that he spent every hour of daylight on the move; only curling up in his tent when he could barely see in front of his own nose. At least he was close to civilization now, and far away from the creepy forest. And to his delight, it seemed that a path lead up from the lake in the valley and over the other side - so at least he had a different route to leave from instead of going back through that forest alone.

 

            The constant trekking, same old food and isolation had made Eren incredibly wary and lonely. Mix in the night times spent in darkness and howling wind, and the young traveler was now a quivering mess. The fear made him almost vibrate. At least now the trembling was changing to excitement. Eren had not washed at all either. Not really in a state fit to approach a normal person, there was mud smeared across his face, and his brown hair resembled a birds nest. At least it provided good camouflage amongst the auburn, browns and mossy shades of the towering forest - as he realised he was about to need it. Something dark was approaching fast through the trees.

 

            A fast, black blur dashed past the young traveler. He only had a moment to look and then it was gone in a split second, dashing off towards the town. Behind it ran two, big, burly men. Eren pressed his back quickly against a tree trunk. The men ran past without noticing him after the faster person. The traveler's heart beat fast within his chest. Sweat dripped down his forehead, the salty droplets sliding into his quivering mouth, and his lungs suddenly demanded air to keep up with his pounding chest. Eren wobbled forward and picked up his heavy pack breathing fast. He quickly shoved his map and compass into his back pocket, hands trembling. The pages of his map crushed and torn as he demanded them to fit into his pocket. But he didn't care, he could get a new one in town. Right now, he wanted to find out what was going on. Eren began to move in the direction the blur and the men had run, picking up speed as he begun to worry more. Who were they? What were they doing? Was someone in trouble? These questions raced in his mind as he too broke into a run after the people. Trees, bushes and bracken snagged at his trousers as he pushed through the foliage. The small burns of the branches that whipped across his face and scraping of boots at already raw and blistered ankles were cancelled out by the liquid adrenaline that shot through his system.

 

            Finally Eren came to a clearing. He stopped dead in his tracks, his leather boots skidding slightly on the dry ground. The boy quickly ducked behind a bush, quietening his heavy breathing. He could clearly see now the two men. They were both tall and stocky with tattoos up their arms and heavy rings upon busted knuckles. These two -judging by injured knuckles, heavy boots and crooked noses- looked like the kind of men always looking for a fight, and also like the kind of men you wouldn't want to get into a fight with either; especially being a seventeen year old boy who could only just about lift a full pale of water. Eren checked their pockets (being a traveler he was used to looking out for vagabonds and pick pockets) and could not see the bulge of either a gun or knife. The two men were now moving towards what they had been chasing. It was a young school girl. Blood and bruises lined her pale skin - a mass of thick, cropped, black hair sticking to her sweaty face. Her eyes were dilated with fear. She had collapsed onto her knees, staring in front of her as her lungs gasped for air. No doubt, her fast running was no match for long distance running, and lactic acid had crippled the muscles in her legs. The two thugs approached her from behind. She did not turn round to them, and kept staring in front of her and panting desperately for air. Eren realised that she was hyperventilating, probably because she could not escape whatever her captors had in store for her. One of the men grabbed her slim arms and jerked them violently round to her back. She screamed out in pain and her legs thrashed about as he lifted her off the ground with her arms pinned behind her back. The girl still managed to put up a fight though; wriggling wildly and kicking her legs out at the other man who now approached her from the front. Still, her attempts at escape were no use. The accomplice grabbed her legs with his large hands. Slowly he slid them up her smooth legs, up her trembling thighs. Eren's eyes widened as he realised what was going on now. He watched the man reach for the girl's underwear. But the young traveler couldn't just sit there; he had to do something.

 

Quietly, Eren reached inside his boot and pulled out a medium sized pocket knife. He was used to using it in case of emergency, as travelling alone did not come without the dangers of thieves. His thumb calmed as it automatically brushed the switch on the side. There was a small click and a blade flicked upwards - light glinted off of the sharp metal. It was small, but it could do fatal damage if used correctly. And if not, then words and a blade made a threat that can made a robber run faster than a hard punch that cracked tough bone of the jaw. Despite Eren's best efforts though, he could not silence the violent pounding of his heart inside his rib cage, or the slight quivering of his legs. At least his hands remained faithful and steady, but time was passing too quickly. The girl's underwear was already on the floor and she was screaming. It was now or never.

 

            With a wild cry, Eren leapt forward out of the bush, his outstretched hand fiercely clenching the small blade. At first the men were taken aback by this ragged boy who was screaming at them. In fact, they were so startled that before they came to their senses, this ragamuffin had already taken down the man who was holding the captive girl's arms. The tip of the blade plunged deep into his jugular, and Eren watched slightly horrified as red blood gushed from the mortal wound. The deep red that oozed from the hole beckoned the boy to drive it in deeper, finishing off the man for sure. But the doomed man's accomplice now moved, grabbing the boy around the waist. Eren did not come down quickly enough from the brief moment of euphoria he felt as the light went out in the man's eyes, and the accomplice had his thick arms constricted around his ribcage before he knew it. As the man tightened his grip there was a slight crack and the traveller had to let go of his blade. The boy cried out in pain as his internal organs were slowly crushed by the other man. Stomach acid and bile seeped up his oesophagus as his stomach and intestine were squeezed tight, burning his throat. But this was the least of Eren's worries, as the man now moved a hand - being sure he had a firm grip on the squirming youngster - to his neck, clasping it tightly. His meaty handy tightened hard around the neck, squeezing it like play dough or putty. The thug too felt a rush of pleasure as he sought to end the life of another.

 

            Eren remained helpless in the man's grasp. Was this it? Was he going to die here? In the clearing with the other man who was now dead and the girl who just sat there on the floor looking up at him? The boy reached a trembling arm out to the girl in a final bid. "Run" he croaked as the hand around his neck choked more air out of him. But it was too late. His head was light as a feather, whilst his lungs were heavy and burning intensely; begging him for oxygen. White noise rang in his ears, sweat dripped from every pore and darkness wiped his vision.

 

            When the young traveler awoke, he thought maybe he'd just had a crazy dream. Up above him the sky was perfectly blue. Gentle clouds moved slowly by, and there was even a cool breeze to softly sway the lush grass he was lying upon. And the grass was also wet. Eren smiled as his hands kneaded the squelching ground. It was fun, and he felt almost like a child again playing in the mud. Maybe if he pushed down hard enough, he could press more liquid out of the earth and he would float away on it. He liked this idea being carried away by a wave, to somewhere pleasant; a place where he didn't have to walk miles and miles each day anymore, or spend another night alone. A sudden homesickness sunk into his bones, and the boy felt a longing to be with his mother in their small home. She had scolded him for leaving, but he wanted to prove his maturity, prove to her he was an adult and capable of looking after himself. And when he returned he'd be wiser, older - a man. The kind of man his mother could depend upon, unlike his father who had left them.

 

            Eren however, was brought down from his daydream by the sound of a dainty cough, not too far off. He turned to the side and jumped up. Around him was a thick puddle of blood. It had saturated the earth and his clothes. The boy tried to rub the deep red on his hands off onto the grass, but it was also sticky with drying blood. His brown hair was also stained darker by the liquid stuff. The startled jump reminded Eren of what had just happened through the sharp pain in his ribcage and windpipe. He tried touching his throat, but it burned inside and out and the traveler quickly retracted his hand. Turning round, he saw the girl standing beside the bodies of the two men. Her clothes were also wet, and there was blood splattered across her face. She outstretched a pale hand with the knife, moving towards him. Eren edged backwards. The girl looked at the dripping blade in her hand and smiled.

"Oh", she spoke quietly. "Sorry, I'm not going to hurt you. Just want to give this back to you..." She flipped the pen knife around now so the handle faced Eren. He shuffled slowly towards her with caution. Taking back his penknife, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Are-are you okay?" He stammered. The boy noticed that did not appear that shaken up, and he was trembling more than she was.

"I'm fine, thanks to you", the girl continued to smile back at him. "I owe my life to you!" She suddenly stepped forward and squeezed Eren in her arms. He yelped out in pain. "Oops! I forgot they beat you up a little" She stepped back and eyed up his red neck. "I'm Mikasa by the way".

"Mikasa?" He said slowly, watching a drop of blood slide down her long neck and down in between her breasts which were nestled below her low collar and torn shirt. Well I'm Eren" he said. "Nice to meet you", he smiled back now, his guilty eyes darting quickly back up to her face.

 

            It turned out that the girl was an inhabitant of the village where he was heading. She had been out in the woods early in the morning (doing what she never explained), when the two bandits had stumbled upon her. Said they had a fetish for _Asian_ girls. When she denied them her body, they denied her freedom and had tried to capture her. Mikasa explained that she was fast, being the favourite on the athletics team at school. But even she got tired of running. The girl had Eren's hand grasped in hers. He didn't mind though, after all he was glad for the human company. She chattered quickly and flashed her pearly teeth at him. He tried to listen but his nerves were still jittery. Luckily the walk down to the town calmed him down a little. It was getting warmer now, and the sunlight cheered him up. Mikasa walked him straight over to the newly developed area of town, muttering something about the old area being dangerous and needing repairs. She tugged urgently at his hand as she pulled him quickly by the dusty, ancient homes and cobbled streets. They were completely empty, the young couple's shoes echoing off of the stones. Eren watched the side streets as they glided by. Suddenly down a larger than usual, sloped side street the boy caught a glimpse of the temple. And standing in front of it, he was sure he could see someone. But the temple and the person flicked by quickly as Mikasa dragged the traveler along quickly. And thanks to the girl's quick pace they were soon over the bridge and into the new area of town. Eren wasn't quite sure where he was going really, but for some reason he just let himself be pulled along by the girl he had saved, still a little too shocked from earlier to really care where he was going. The young traveler was more preoccupied about what had happened after he'd passed out, because when he woke up they were both alive - and where there was one dead man there now laid two. Eren looked down at his free hand. Despite washing his hands in the river they still had a slight brown tinge to them. The pair also both stank of meta; and warm blood. Only he seemed to be self-conscious about this though, as the girl confidently strode down the city in her ragged, bloody clothes. To be honest, the traveler was not sure whether to be more scared of the thugs in the woods or the girl here. She also managed to bury both large men, pretty much single handily with ease. Then again, Eren still had to save her - she couldn't be that dangerous.

 

 

"Hey, Mikasa" He interrupted suddenly. She stopped talking about how much of a gentleman he was compared to the 'losers' in the village and smiled at him.

"Hmm??"

"Say, did you..." Eren looked at the girl in front of him. Her clothes were torn and bloody - her hair wild and stuck together with dried blood. They seemed so out of place set against her perfect, porcelain skin and soft, innocent features. "did you kill the other man back there?" Mikasa's smile faded, and she stared at the boy for a moment. Then she turned around silently and continued to pull him along, the two of them walking in with just the sounds of their foot steps on the paved, empty walkways until they reached a small house along one of the streets of identical looking homes.

 

It was a tall, slim building, possibly three stories high and sandwiched in between two other houses. The curtains were open, but despite the streets being empty there was no one moving behind the windows.

"Here we go!" She was smiling again as she held her arms out. _Voila. Here we are. Here you go, you beautiful idiot._ Eren looked blankly at her. "It's my home?" She said slowly, wondering if the lack of oxygen had killed one too many of the boy's brain cells, as she reached into her trouser pocket and pulled out a key. Mikasa watched, frowning slightly as the boy stared back blankly at her. Then he finally registered what she had said.

"Oh um, I couldn't possibl-"

"Eren, Don't be silly" she said. There was more embarrassed stuttering from the boy, followed by more reassurance from the girl. "It's fine", "you saved my life", "my stepmother is never home", "you need to clean up, it's the least I can do". After a little more mumbling, Eren finally gave in and accepted the invitation, he was too tired to argue. So he waited for her to unlock the door, and then stepped into Mikasa's home.

 


	2. All I need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finally settles down into a proper home for the first time in a week. However, he notices there is something off about Mikasa. The weary traveller has little time to think about this however, as he is distracted in the evening by the promise of good food, drink and friends. And even more so, by the glare he attracts from the strange, short man sitting at the bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spot the Macbeth reference. 
> 
> Yay introducing more of the gang into this chapter! I need to stop writing this at night though and creeping myself out by reading Higurashi wiki pages.

* * *

 After a quick tour of Mikasa's tidy home, the two teenagers decided it would be best to get themselves cleaned up.

"The bathroom's down the hall", the girl pointed to the end of the corridor. She handed him a soft, white towel and disappeared downstairs, leaving Eren to himself. Walking down the hallway the boy took a chance to peer into the rooms the girl had briefly let him look into. There were four bedrooms upstairs; two double rooms and two singles. They were all so neat and tidy; almost un lived in. There was one room however, that she had not shown him. Maybe there was a sock on the floor, or a dirty plate that meant it was a no-go zone. He smirked to himself. Eren had been given the single room on the far right of the landing. Entering the bathroom, the teenage boy shut the door and put his towel down on the floor by the shower. Downstairs, a television buzz into life. The dull sound of a t.v. presenter and canned laughter throbbed up through the bathroom floor. Not caring much for television, Eren turned the shower on. The handle was stiff, and as he turned it on the water pipes groaned once before coming into action as if they had not been used in a while.

"Gah!!" The brunette jerked backwards as ice, cold water blasted from the shower. As he stumbled, startled, he slipped on the cold water that now pooled at the bottom of the shower and fell, hitting his head with a loud, hollow bang on the hard, tiled wall. There was a clatter as Eren landed on the bottom of the shower; knocking down various shampoos and other products in the process. The plastic bottles lay in disarray alongside the boy. The side of his head began to throb and the Eren clutched feebly at the pain. He even thought he could hear the throbbing, however it was in fact Mikasa pounding up the stairs.

"Eren?!!" The bathroom door swung open, and the girl stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with panic. "Eren!! Are you okay?" She gasped as she saw the poor boy clutching his head in the basin of the shower. Eren suddenly went bright red, and curled up, trying to cover his naked body.

"Uh. M-m-mikasa! Please, um. I'm fine. Just, don't look at me" His cheeks deepened to a dark scarlet. The girl blushed a little too, averting her gaze to the floor.

"Oh! I'm sorry..." Tucking a stray black hair behind her ear, she quickly turned around and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

 

            The boy breathed a sigh of relief. But he still felt extremely embarrassed about the girl seeing his less than-toned seventeen year old body. When traveling he didn't have to worry about normal adolescent expectations. His body was capable of putting up a tent, taking it down, carrying him many miles and finding wood for a fire. These were all the things he needed to do, so it was no surprise that he did not have the big guns or six pack that some of the boys his age flaunted. Eren patted his protruding ribcage, _there there. We're in a town now, I shall fill you up in no time with plenty of food and protein_. His stomach suddenly grumbled in agreement. By now the shower had warmed up. Steam filled the room and fogged up the mirror and metal taps. The boy stood up as the pain in his head dulled to a mild soreness. It felt good to finally have a proper wash. The warm water soothed his tired feet and legs, melting away his aches and pains. Eren watched the brown water drain downwards. It had a slight red tint to it. This made the boy wrinkle his nose in slight discuss. He washed his hair twice, scrubbing rigorously under his nails and anywhere else to remove the evidence of his crime committed earlier. It took a while to clean himself. Yes, the mud and grime from his travels easily soaked off; but the blood - that thick, crusted and coagulated blood - stuck hard to his matted hair and refused to budge without the use of half a bottle of shampoo. As Eren lathered up his mess of unruly, brown hair and rinsed it off several times he watched the water turn an even more vibrant shade of incarnadine. There was enough blood in his hair to make a green sea red. And it seemed as though no matter how much product he used on his hair, Eren could not force his guilt to be washed away down the plughole either.

 

"Hey, still alive?" A voice came from the other side of the door.

"Yeah, don't worry. Just bumped my head a little back there. I'm fine now" he spoke loudly above the shower. Silence. Eren listened as the footsteps padded softly back down the corridor. She was so quiet; he hadn't heard her approach the bathroom. Or maybe she had waited out there after the embarrassing intrusion. The teenager blushed a little as he remembered and went back to scrubbing himself clean. _Still_ , he thought as he watched the water finally run clear again, _those men deserved it. I cannot just stay quiet when such injustice goes on._ Eren clenched his fists together at the thought of those two men. He felt guilty for killing them, but he knew it was the right thing to do, in his mind. No. He would never stand back and watch innocent people be hurt. He ran a shaky hand through his wet hair and sighed before turning off the tap.

 

            Feeling much more content after getting clean and reassuring himself about the murder, Eren stepped out of the shower and wrapped himself up in the cosy, soft bath towel. He was beginning to feel relaxed and a little more healed after all that weary travelling. Slowly, he opened the bathroom door and looked around. There was no one in the hallway - Mikasa must have gone back downstairs to watch T.V. Creeping out onto the landing, the boy quickly dashed into his bedroom to avoid another embarrassing run in. He shut the door firmly behind him and looked around the room. The girl had placed a clean set of jeans, socks, boots and a shirt out for him on the bed. He got dressed into his new clothes and decided to unpack a little as the room felt a little lifeless. Eren reached into his large backpack and pulled out a small, wooden photo frame. In it was a picture of a woman with hair just like Eren's brown mop. She was dressed modestly in a simple dress and shirt. In her arms was a tiny, swaddled baby. The woman was smiling down affectionately at her child. He smiled as he looked at the picture. Setting it onto the desk, Eren felt slightly more at home. The room was modern and empty, but his picture added some much needed spirit into it.

 

            As Eren stood smiling at the picture on the desk in silence, he realised he was not alone. His ears pricked up as behind him he registered the sound of shallow breathing. Whipping around, the boy saw the dark haired girl standing wide eyed in the doorway. She had crept up to his room again, and managed to open the door without him realising. _How long has she been there for?_ He shuddered.

"Mikasa?" Eren stared back at her, his thick brown knitting. She took a step back.

"Oh, uh Eren. You're dressed." Silence. He continued to stare back at her, his heart beginning to quicken. _What's going on?..._

She then lifted a bath towel up to show him. "Just going to take a shower...thought you ought to know." He continued to stand rooted to the spot; like a deer freezes after detecting the faintest of sounds. Refusing to move until safe, or perused. 

"Okay..."

"Help yourself to food downstairs" Then she smiled at him and disappeared off down the hallway and into the bathroom. _Geeze._ Eren breathed out heavily. After he heard her shut the bathroom door, he quickly went into his pack and found the knife from earlier. His father had given him the pocket knife on one of their little camping trips - the ones they went on before his father took off and never returned. The blood that was on the blade was now dry and brown. Eren hid it up his sleeve and made his way downstairs to the kitchen, where he scrubbed the knife clean and then stuck it into the side of his shoe - _just in case_.

           

            The television was still on, and it was rather loud. Maybe that was why he hadn't heard Mikasa creep up on him.

"Today is the 1st of June, and I'm your host Keiichi Maebara. Tomorrow we are going to see some more of this lovely sunshine, followed by drizzle in the evening. There will be highs and lows of..." Eren looked at the neatly made up weather man before finding the remote and turning off the T.V. He didn't really care for the weather now that he had an actual roof over his head. The house was quiet again apart from the sound of the shower running upstairs. The boy begun to wonder. There was something just a _little_ bit strange about this Mikasa. Maybe her being in the shower was a good time to do a little snooping around. Better safe than sorry right? Eren reassured himself.

 

            It was his turn now as he tiptoed up the stairs. The shower was still going at the end of the hall. Quietly, Eren opened the closest shut door to him. It was one of the double bedrooms - the one he hadn't been shown. From the looks of it, it was Mikasa's parent's room. This room definitely appeared lived in. There were family photos on the bedside table and desk. He went over and picked one up. In it was a small girl, with thick black hair. She was clasping the hand of a tall man and a woman who looked just like her. This woman however, was definitely Japanese. Well, now he knew where Mikasa got her looks from. However, Eren thought that the girl had grown even more beautiful than the woman in the picture. Putting it down he picked up another photo frame. This one was later, and showed a rather gloomy looking, 10-year old Mikasa. Beside her was the tall man, but he was stooped over and his hair was gone. Next to him stood a different woman. She was blond, pale and stood straight backed next to the man. Eren wondered what had happened to the woman he supposed was Mikasa's mother. Obviously a lot had happened in between the time those two pictures were taken. The boy put the picture down and looked around the room. _Geeze_ , it sure was messy in there. Clothes, boxes, shoes and other nick naks lay strewn around the room. It was like someone had gone in and thrown everything on the floor. Maybe they had lost something? Or were in a rush for work? The teenager looked around. Something wasn't quite right. It was then that he noticed the baseball bat in the corner of the room. Propped up by the wardrobe, it was splintered as though it had been used to hit something. Eren looked at the shut wardrobe. Sweat begun to drip down his forehead, his heart picking up again as the wardrobe loomed over him. Slowly, the brunette picked his feet up and walked forwards, each foot seeming as heavy as lead as the room seemed to narrow towards the wardrobe. His knees begun to quiver as his leg muscles turned to jelly. He reached the wardrobe and put a shaking hand on the wood of the door. All he had to do now was slide it open. The boy took in a deep breath.

"What are you doing?" The breath caught in his throat and turned into a loud gasp as he jumped. Turning, Mikasa was in the door way again. She was frowning. "This is my parent's room!..Get out!" She yelled. But Eren couldn't move, he was stuck to the spot with fear. His green eyes darted quickly to the bat and then back to Mikasa. She frowned deeper. Then her brow relaxed and she sighed. "Oh...I see" She looked at the bat and back at Eren. Mikasa walked across the room to him. She was standing so close that he could smell her conditioner. Wild flower. Her hair was still wet, and the boy realised she was still only wearing a towel around her body. Despite the gravity of the situation, his adolescent brain still managed to spread a mandatory blush across his face. She slid the wardrobe open.

 

           Eren stared into the dark wardrobe, his pupils dilating to see what was in there. And then he saw it. His green eyes widened and a cold drop of sweat slithered down his face. Nothing. There was nothing there.

"Happy?" She exited the room. "Now I'm going to get dressed. Don't get too worked up over a messy room. It's a good thing I keep the rest so tidy". Mikasa smiled to herself and then went back to her bedroom. Eren sighed a deep breath of relief. He swore he was going to have a heart attack if these kind of events kept happening. Now he felt bad for looking around her parents room. It was completely disrespectful of him. After all she was offering him food, a roof over his head and company too. The teenager scuttled guiltily out of the bedroom and shut the door behind him. Heading off downstairs, Eren turned the T.V. back on - channel hopping away his embarrassment and shame. However, he did not take the pocket knife out of his boots. It felt snugly reassuring as it pressed against his ankle.

 

            After about half an hour, Mikasa re-emerged clean and dressed casually in black jeans and a pink t-shirt. Eren looked down at his own borrowed, faded jeans and white shirt and begun to feel almost a part of the Mikasa household.

"Thirsty?" She walked over to the kitchen. The downstairs was laid out so that the kitchen, dining room and living room were arranged in an open plan L shape. Then in the hallway was the stairs, and to the left of it a tiny bathroom and study in their own respective rooms. The house itself was a modest size, yet it was definitely bigger than the humble cottage Eren shared with his mother back in his hometown of Trost. But that was a long, long way away now.

"Yeah, I'm also kinda hungry too". He looked down at his empty stomach and grimaced.

"Me too". She moved towards a cupboard and pulled out two glasses. _4.15 P.M._ "It's too early for dinner though. Let's have some snacks and drinks now. Then I'll take you out to the local bar for dinner". She put the glasses down and begun rooting around in the fridge. "Is orange juice okay?" Mikasa held up the carton.

"Why don't we just go to the bar now and hang out?"

"No." She shut the fridge and begun pouring the juice. Placing one down on the coffee table in front of Eren, the girl took up an armchair diagonally from him. She lifted her delicate feet up off the ground and curled up in the chair.

"So Eren." Mikasa took a sip of her juice and smiled. "Tell me more about yourself."

The teenage boy looked down at his glass of orange juice. "Uhhh" he began. There wasn't really much about his life to tell. "Well, I'm Eren Yaeger. I'm seventeen years old and I come originally from Trost."

"Trost?!" Mikasa's eyes lit up excitedly. "How did you get here from Trost?"

"Well, when I decided to go travelling I managed to hitch rides and eventually got to the harbour. I snuck onto a ferry and ended up on this continent" he smiled, remembering his travels. He had been fifteen when he left home. It had taken him two years and a hell of a lot of growing up to get to where he was now. "And then...I just walked" Eren looked at Mikasa. She stared at him in awe.

"That's incredible. I wish I could do something like that."

"It's not that great to be honest. But at least I don't get homesick anymore too much" his voice trailed off. Really he had missed his mother from day one.

"Tell me more about your family." Eren leaned forward and grabbed the glass of orange juice. He took a gulp of the orange liquid. The sweet, sticky juice hit his tongue, stimulating his brain and making him perk up a little with glucose finally entering his system. The boy realised he hadn't eaten since the small breakfast he'd had that morning.

"Well", he wiped the corners of his mouth with his sleeve and put the drink back down. "I live with my mom back at home. We share a little cottage together."

"No father?"

"No...No father" Eren looked down at the coffee table and sighed.

"Me too," Mikasa said sadly. He looked back up at her. "I'm sure you saw the picture in bedroom". The brunette remembered the tall man in the picture, who seemed to have aged so dramatically by the next. He had looked so fragile and weak. "My father got cancer and died."

"I'm sorry" Eren looked at her with pity.

"You see, my mother is dead too".

"Oh, really?"

"Yes. But now I live with my...step-mother". Mikasa's cheeks turned a slight red as her slim eyebrows frowned, her small mouth pouting slightly . He could see that the very mention of this woman had made her irritated.

"I can see that she lives up to the classic image of an evil step-mother" Eren laughed a little, trying to lighten the mood.

"I fucking hate her!" The sudden outburst startled the boy. Mikasa's face was quite red now, and her eyes wide with anger.

"Woah..." He put his hands up in front of him. _Calm down._

A short, sharp wail suddenly called out through the air. The Eren's eyes darted to the window. It rang once then disappeared. He looked at Mikasa worried.

"That's just the siren to signal the end of the working day". Eren noticed how the hairs that had stood up on the back of her neck when she shouted out relaxed back down as she did. "Sorry about that," She brushed some imaginary dust off of her jeans. "I just...she's awful" She looked at him as if to say _it just really sucks, okay._ He nodded sympathetically.

"I understand. My dad's not dead or anything. He just left us suddenly. I hate him for that too". There was a softness and understanding in her dark eyes. He felt like he could trust her a little more now.

 

            Eren realised that even though she was a little creepy, he didn't have much to be afraid of. The two of them sat chatting for a little longer about their past life; the stupid things the parents they hated had done, the way they longed to be with the other parent that they loved. It seemed they had a lot in common, and the boy and the girl felt a bond of close friendship begin to form between them. They seemed to be on the same level, even though they'd only met. As they chatted, Eren noticed that he could now hear people outside. Children ran down the streets, giggling and calling out to one another. He heard men and women arrive home - doors beginning to open and shut. Suddenly the streets were alive. The dark haired girl glanced down at a red watch on her wrist.

"It's about time we went out!" She stood up and carried the empty glasses back to the kitchen. Eren begun to feel excited. _Food!_ She motioned him towards the front door, grabbing a set of keys and a bag off of a peg.

"Oh let me grab my wallet", he turned to go upstairs.

"Don't worry, it's on me!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him out the house. He didn't refuse. The teenager was too hungry to argue anyway.

 

            They wound their way out of the new housing estate, through the maze of homes and buildings until finally they came onto a street of shops that ran along side the river. The sky was getting darker now, but the shops buzzed with people and the bright glow of fluorescent light. There were bars, restaurants, pachinko parlours, corner shops, arcade centers and kiosks. All about him came the sound of chatter. Girls and boys dashed in and out of the arcade, slamming buttons, pushing joysticks and inspecting the tiny purikura photos. Adults too filtered in and out of the pachinko parlours and eateries. Eren was glad to see humanity again. After all, Mikasa was great company, but he began to feel like he was firmly back in the normal world again after the events of the morning. They continued along the river for a little bit. The row of shops was vast, and stretched on for about a mile.

 

            The girl explained that these were the only shops in town, but had been conveniently all built parallel to the river. Eren looked across the water to the other side of town. It seemed as empty as it had that morning, except that now it was becoming obscured by darkness. Only a few street lights were on in the old side of town.

"Why is the old part of the village so quiet?"

"Hmm? Oh, no one really lives there anymore" Mikasa explained. She dragged him along a little further before stopping in front of a bar. Eren kept his eyes fixated on the other side of the river as its ancient cobbled streets and bending homes disappeared as night encroached upon them. "Here we go". He turned to look at the bar. It was bright and lively in there. The bar itself was built like one of the traditional buildings. It had a wooden exterior, and was decorated with bright flags, and draping banners painted with kanji he had no idea how to read. Upon the matted floor there were low, wooden tables - no chairs needed. The customers were sat either knelt, cross legged or squat beside them. They didn't seem to mind as they laughed and talked over cups of alcohol and small dishes of fish, vegetables, chicken and rice. There was also a bar in the corner, with various men lounging about on the bar stools, probably discussing their day at work or the latest football match. The pair walked in and Mikasa led them over to a table already occupied by two other people who looked around their age.

"Yo Mikasa," A boy with a shaved head waved to her. Across from him sat a girl with brown hair drawn back into a pony tail. She wore a plain grey hoody and joggers, which Eren later found out she wore because of the elasticated waist that provided extra room for her expanding stomach, which grew due to the sheer amount of food she scoffed down whilst they were there. The girl was already slurping loudly on a bowl of Miso. Her amber eyes flicked up to Mikasa, then to Eren, then back to Mikasa, then back to the bowl of Miso. She lifted a hand up to acknowledge their arrival. Mikasa turned to him.

"Eren, this is Connie and Sascha", she motioned to the two teenagers sat down. They also took their places up next to them. Eren noticed that the other boy also had similar, amber eyes.

"Are you guys siblings?" He turned to the shaved headed boy, who suddenly burst out laughing at this suggestion. He clenched his stomach with laughter. Mikasa smirked. Sascha, the other girl, slammed down her bowl of Miso.

"Ha! Us, related?!" She snorted with laughter. It was a while before the table calmed down again. Eren begun to feel a little nervous. Connie patted him on the shoulder.

"Heh, no. We are definitely not related. But uh...You and Mikasa?" He looked at the pair. Mikasa shook her head.

"He's not a relative." The other boy scratched his head.

"Not a relative? Ehhh? Then what's he doing in a place like thi-" He stopped as he noticed both girls glaring at him. Connie's eyes darted down to the table.

"Well, uh welcome to Hinamizawa, Eren." He said this, all whilst avoiding eye contact. The boy took a sip of his drink, and then suddenly lightened up again.

"Let's get you guys some sake!" He stood up suddenly and disappeared off towards the bar, leaving Eren with the two girls. They sat in silence for a while as Sascha hoovered up another bowl of Miso along with a small bowl of rice, seasoned crackers and a vegetable dish. The teenager watched as she also glanced around quickly, before stuffing the pre-packaged packets of pickled ginger and hand-towels into her hoody pocket.

"So," She suddenly started up, looking at Eren. "What brings you to Hinamizawa". Mikasa gave her friend what appeared like a look of warning. "What?" She raised an eyebrow at the dark haired girl.

"Um, I travelled here to see the festival." He tried to smile.

"Ahh I see." Sascha wiped the stray pieces of rice attached to her face off. Eren noticed that they were all over her cheeks due to her practically stuffing her whole face into her food whilst she greedily wolfed it all down. "The Watanagashi Festival is big round here."

"It's not to far off now" Mikasa said quietly. She too glanced down at the table. Eren wondered why everyone kept doing that. They were constantly avoiding eye contact with him, and they would suddenly become quiet when he talked about the village.

"Wonder which virgin they'll sacrifice this year," Sascha snorted. Mikasa shot a second warning look at her; this one much more intense than the last.

"Here we go!" Connie appeared with another flask of sake in his hands. He placed two more cups down for Mikasa and Eren. Then began the process of pouring it out. Mikasa poured his own drink. He thanked the others and took a sip of the warm liquid, his tense muscles relaxing as the alcohol melted through his mouth and into his body. The others seemed a little more at ease too as they sipped at their drinks.

"So, despite this one going ahead and already ordering" Connie stuck his thumb out at Sascha, who huffed, "do you guys know what you want to eat?". Eren looked at Mikasa.

"I'm not fussy. Any food will do." Eren didn't really know what to order, it was best left up to his friends as they would know the specialties of the area. Mikasa nodded in agreement. The other boy turned towards his friend. She groaned.

"Fine! I guess it's my turn to go to the bar..." She got up and took a menu with her.

"Make sure to get us plenty of side dishes, the others will be here any time soon...and I want some salad too!" Connie called after her. She disappeared into the growing crowd of people around the bar. As Eren watched her shove her way to the front, he suddenly noticed that one of the men sat at the bar was starting at him.

 

            Short, and with cropped black hair, this man had ridiculously small eyes, that seemed to be glaring a Eren. He turned back to the table. _God, the people here sure are friendly..._

Mikasa smiled at him, and tried to start up the conversation. "Eren here likes to travel."

"Is that so?" The other boy, who had been checking a girl at another table out, looked back at them. "that's neat. I'd love to travel some day too. If only I could get out of this damn village" Mikasa laughed nervously.

"Well, you just got to go for it. Don't let money hold you back either", Eren offered his advice. "I miss my family a little though, so I understand if you are staying here because of that same reason."

"Yeh," Connie looked down at his hands on the table for a moment, then back up at Eren. "Friends and family..." The dark haired girl began to pour more Sake. "It's never easy it it".

"No. It's quite hard. Sometimes I just have these overwhelming urges to go home. But then I have to remind myself of experiences like these. Meeting new people and making friends." The other two looked at him and smiled. Eren felt glad to have lightened the mood again. Maybe it was boring in this town. After all, they were seemed overly surprised when someone new had come that wasn't here for the purpose of seeing family. Well, he'd try and make things exciting again for them at least whilst he was in the village. Sascha mooched back over to the table and sat down. She had brought two more sake cups with her. Taking a mobile phone out of her pocket, the girl slid her thumb in between the join of her flip phone and flipped the screen up.

"Be there in five, M" She read. "Looks like the others will be here soon!" The girl grinned and crossed her legs. Outside, it begun to rain. Connie groaned.

"Argh. Looks like the rainy season has come early again." Mikasa looked at the shaved boy.

"Again?" Sascha asked, confused. "Last year it was really late".

"Was it?" He scratched his head. The dark haired girl just looked outside at the rain as it poured down in big, fat drops. The customers at the edge shuffled themselves and their tables inwards more. Outside, umbrellas begun to erupt from the crowds of people; random colours suddenly blooming up from the throng of villagers like flowers in spring. People ran and splashed down the street.

Eren suddenly felt eyes burning into the back of his head, or maybe it was just where his skull hurt from hitting it earlier. He turned around. _Again?_ The short man at the bar was still staring at him. It made the teenage boy feel very uncomfortable. He stubbornly decided to return the stare, simultaneously taking in his appearance. The man looked in his late 20s. A professional, well dressed sort of guy suited up in black trousers, an immaculate white shirt and bolo tie. A black, tailored jacket fitted snugly to his small upper body. Eren noticed that despite the mans small frame, he was rather well built. But not as well built as the much taller, blonde companion sitting next to him, who turned to the man.

"Oi", he said. The man broke off his intense glaring contest with Eren and looked at the other man. They begun to chat. He turned his attention back to his own table.

 

"Hey Mikasa, you running in the 200m on Thursday?" Sascha was grinning madly.

"Of course"

"Perfect. With you on our team we're sure to wipe all 3 other classes in our year on floor" Eren looked puzzled as the girl with the ponytail chatted rapidly. 

"It's sports day on Thursday - next week" Connie pitched in. "Mikasa, Sascha and I are all in the same class."

"Yes, yes." The girl was still grinning. "Next week is going to be the bomb. Fund raiser on Wednesday, Sports day on Thursday, then the festival on Sunday the week after that!!" She clapped her hands gleefully.

"I can't wait either. It's going to be great. Plus we get the Friday off before the festival from school." Connie said as Eren took a sip of his sake.

"It's sounds like great fun..."

"You should join in Eren," Mikasa turned to him.

"Is that allowed?" He looked around at the others.

"Sure, why not?" She replied. He thanked them all. Then they raised a toast to the next few weeks.

 

            It was getting quite late now, but the bar was still packed and the alcohol kept Eren's hunger in check for now. The others looked over as two figures entered the bar. One pulled an umbrella down, shaking it off outside and placing it in an umbrella stand by the door. The other begun to take off a rather bright, yellow rain coat. Eren noticed that it matched the boy's own hair colour. The people at the table beckoned over the new arrivals.

"Marco! Armin!" Connie called out to the two boys. As they waved at them and hurried over, both their eyes widened.

"Do we have a newbie here?" Eren's own eyes were immediately drawn to the splash of freckles over the nose and cheeks of the newcomer who had just spoken. His hair was dark and cropped, but unlike the others sitting around the table, his skin was much, much more tan. Contrasting to his right was the boy who wore the almost childish raincoat; with his feminine, Aryan features.

"Wh-who's this?" He stammered, blushing at Eren. The teenage boy tried to smile politely at the blond. Maybe he was actually a girl?

"Armin, Marco, this is Eren" It seemed to be Mikasa's job to introduce him to everyone now. He felt like she took a little pride in it, almost like he was a rare, exotic object she'd been lucky enough to stumble on. However, this was partly true he realised, as the newcomers also exclaimed how rare it was to have visitors in Hinamizawa. Armin quickly darted past Marco and sat on the other side of Eren, who realised from the name that actually the blonde was in fact a rather effeminate and shy boy. The freckled boy didn't seemed phased by this at all, and moved to sit next to Mikasa and Sascha at the other side of the table.

 

            "Boy, that rain sure was coming down hard" Marco sighed as they all turned to observe the rain again. "Almost washed us away. Sorry we're late by the way. Armin insisted on grabbing his coat so he didn't get wet". Armin smiled nervously, whilst Connie rolled his eyes. Thankfully at that moment, the food arrived. Dishes upon dishes of food was laid down in front of them. The company got tucked in right away and managed to munch their way through all of the food put down in front of them. Contently full and warm with sake, Eren felt at ease. The conversation round the table was lively now that there were six of them. He found a little more about their school and their own individual talents. He also discovered that Connie and Sascha were dating. Apparently the shaved boy's sarcastic comments were a sign of affection and love. Sascha also returned the sarcasm and teasing in between mouthfuls of food.

 

            Two more hours passed when Eren realised that it was almost midnight. Still the bar was buzzing with villagers. Looking around, he could see that the short man at the bar was still there. The man glanced over at Eren. Their eyes caught each other's and locked for a moment. The boy felt his heart rate pick up again, but not because of fear this time. He found himself becoming lost in the man's dark eyes. 

"Eren", Mikasa's gentle voice snapped him back down to reality. "Are you okay?" She looked concerned.

"Yeah, I just..." He looked back at the man who was now talking to his tall, blond friend. "There's a man over there keeps looking at me..."

"Who?" The whole table very unsubtly all turned around and looked over at the bar. Some of the people on the surrounding tables also shot a quick glance around, wondering what the teenagers were all staring at intently.

"Guys! You gotta be subtle" He hissed. They all giggled, but kept on looking.

"Oh! I bet I know who it is" Marco spoke up. "The short man next to the big, buff blonde guy right?" Eren nodded. "That's Levi. He's one of the teachers at our school. He teaches me and Armin." The rest of the group turned back round.

"I-I wouldn't mess with him" Armin looked shyly at the brunette.

"He's right," Freckles agreed. They all nodded. "Anyhow, it's getting late. We should probably leave now. School tomorrow". The rest of the table groaned, but all agreed that they should leave. After splitting the bill and finding a few newspapers to cover their heads, they all dashed off in the in different directions back home. Mikasa and Eren stood outside for a moment, feeling depressed as the rain quickly penetrated the flimsy wad of news they held above their heads. They were about to leave when the young traveller noticed that the short man had left the bar and was watching him as he stood under the roof smoking a cigarette. The hot ash glowed as Levi pulled oxygen through the roll of burning chemicals and into his lungs. Eren found himself simultaneously drawing in a long breath. _And exhale._ He suddenly built up the courage and went over to confront the man before Mikasa noticed what was happening, as she mentally prepared herself to run back home with her new friend.

 

            "Hey, you!" Eren frowned hard at the short man. He walked right up to him, not that much taller but still satisfied that he could look down at him. Levi took the cigarette out his mouth and exhaled a cloud of toxic smoke into Eren's face. The teen coughed loudly and tried to bat the smoke away in a futile attempt with his hands. The man laughed. "Just who do you think you are?!" The teen was yelling now, frustrated that the man was still leaning nonchalantly against the side of the building. Mikasa had turned around and ran over to him, grabbing his arm.

"C,mon Eren. Let's go," she glared at both of them.

"Yes E-ren" He said his name slowly, in a low voice. "Isn't it your bed time now?" He smirked, drawing another puff of his cigarette. The hot red ash reflected in his dark eyes. Mikasa pulled Eren away.

"C,mon" she struggled. "We have to go now. Don't get into a fight with a teacher, you idiot". Eren broke eye contact with the man, and let himself be dragged away into the rain by the girl. He glanced behind him for one last look; watching as Levi slowly walked off into the opposite direction with his tall, blonde companion. 

 

            By the time they made it back, they were both sopping wet again. The newspapers had -naturally- failed to ward off the torrential downpour. The dark haired girl cursed the saturated paper for apparently not being a good enough umbrella. Mikasa fetched Eren some warm pajamas and said goodnight, saying that she was tired. He agreed as well, suddenly feeling sleepy. It was a welcome feeling however, as he was full of food, warm and happy after good company for the first time in weeks.

 

            Shutting his bedroom door behind him, he collapsed down onto the bed. It had been a busy day. The evening alone had made Eren forget that just that morning, he'd been a homeless vagrant who had murdered a fully grown man. He pushed that memory to the back of his head. It seemed so unreal now. Did he really kill someone? _Yes, I did._ Sighing, the teenage boy kicked off his boots. The blade he'd concealed in them earlier clattered onto the wooden floor. Eren looked down at it. Surrounded by the other happy, lively people at dinner he'd totally forgotten about the knife or why he'd put it there in the first place. A little fear sunk back into his body as the blade reminded him of the way in which Mikasa had crept up on him earlier. Eren begun to notice the silence of the house. It swallowed him up as he sat feeling depressed. It was so different from the bar. He wanted to go back to that place and the people and the laughter. The massive high he'd felt that evening was well worn off now. Inside, he was as empty as the room he was in.

 

            "Goodnight, mom", He whispered to the picture frame of his mother. Replacing his wet clothes with the dry pajamas and hanging them on the chair to air out overnight, Eren snuggled up under the plush duvet and immediately fell fast asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Armin may appear shy and benign towards Eren, but don't let that fool you. heuheuheu.


	3. Medley and Madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At night, everything always seems so much worse. It is easily to get lost and scared in the darkness. But if we only wait for morning; we will see the light on the horizon that washes away all our anxiety and fear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Inserts aggressive Ereri into chapter]
> 
> Enjoy!

           

* * *

Tossing and turning violently, Eren awoke several times that night from different nightmares. Each as vivid and terrifying as the last. They seemed so real; each one throwing his mind out of line when he woke up. Where was he? What was he doing here? Who was he? After a while, his disorientated brain remembered what had happened and he soon settled back down into sleep - only to fall into a different nightmare. It was about the fourth time that the brunette had woken up. He untangled his limbs from the wound up duvet and wiped the cold sheen of sweat from his forehead, slowly calming the panicked breathing of his lungs. _3.45 a.m._ Eren stared numbly at the clock on his desk, as it blinked red in the darkness. He watched the clock until the segmented numbers clicked. _3.46 a.m._ It seemed like this night would last forever. The boy looked down at the purple indents that lined his palms from where he'd been digging his nails down during his sleep. Obviously, he was still haunted by the earlier incidents that had happened during the day. Eren watched the purple fade to a light pink, and then disappear altogether. His palms were smooth again. He was about to turn over and try to sleep when his ears picked up the faintest giggle coming from down the corridor. A shiver ran down his spine. Cold sweat began to seep out of every pore again. Was Mikasa still awake at this time? Surely, she could be up to no good. Quietly, the boy pushed back the quilt and slipped out of bed. He slid a palm up his sweaty back. _Ugh, gross._ He wiped the cold, wet liquid onto his pyjama bottoms. Man he was going to get so much acne from all this sweating his was doing. _And I'm probably going to have a heart attack from all these frights._ The boy sighed and tip toed across his room. The door opened silently as Eren peered out along the hallway. The corridor was pitch black dark except for a faint, orange glow coming from beneath the gap of the door to the parent's room. He could see a shadow breaking up the glow in a rhythmic manner. Eren realised that someone was pacing up and down on the other side of the door.

 

            There it was again. That giggle. It was high pitched and quiet, sending another shiver along his spine as it was picked up by his keen ears. Eren moved forwards now, slowly placing one foot down in front of the other as gently as he could. His breathing slowed as he concentrated on stepping forward without detection. The fleshy underside of his foot padded softly on the polished wood. It felt cold. But luckily for the boy, the house did not betray him. Not one floorboard creaked or groaned. Eren was closer now, and could hear an angry sort of growling coming from the other side of the door. Slowly, slowly he crept towards the rooms like a mouse. Finally he had reached it. Eren put an ear to the door and listened. There was more angry mumbling again followed by a dull, quiet thudding of bare feet, as they walked up and down the room. And then, suddenly silence. He held his breath to try and hear what was going on inside the room.

 

 _Crash_. A solid object hit the wall just by the door. The brunette gasped and took a loud step backwards. The floor board let out an almighty croak underneath his misplaced foot. _Shit._ He'd done it now. In no time she would throw open the door and see him standing there. Holding his breath again, Eren waited paralysed by fear; wishing that he'd brought his knife with him. But the door did not open, and the angry grumbling started up again after a singular thud, that sounded like knees hitting the wooden floor. Whoever it was in there, they were too absorbed by whatever they were doing that, they hadn't heard him thankfully. Eren let out a sigh of relief, and decided to take a peak inside. He reached for the door handle and turned it slowly. There was a small click, but the person in the room had not heard it. He pushed the door open a little and peered in. At first Eren could not see; the bright orange light burned straight onto his retina as his pupils were widened by the darkness. Squinting, his vision soon focused and he saw clearly Mikasa kneeling on the floor. The room was even more trashed than before. A picture from the bedside table was missing, and he could see that the girl was now clutching this in her hands. It was the one with her step mother in. Except that now the glass pane on the photo frame was smashed into sharp shards on the floor. Mikasa had obviously flown into some sort of rage when she broke the frame as her hands were lacerated by the glass. Red was smeared all over her hands and up her arms. Some of it fresh - some of it already drying to a flaky, brown crust. Mikasa's shirt was also covered in blood. However, Eren could see that bleeding had pretty much stopped; the cuts shiny with a gummy, coagulated seal. Eren watched her growl at the picture, _'this time you won't get away. You're next you fucker'._ Looking down, he noted that the splintered baseball bat now lay at her side. Did she intend to use this? On her step mother? _But what about me?_ He thought, realising that he was just as much at risk of her murderous outbursts as much as her step mother.

 

            Eren did not want to stick around to find out if he was next or not. Silently he backed away from the door and crept down the hallway. He wasted no time in throwing his belongings into his rucksack. The boy tore off his pyjamas and threw on his own clothes, still slightly damp, back onto himself - his knife shoved to the bottom of his boot. Swinging the heavy rucksack onto his shoulders, he walked briskly down the hallway and stairs.

"Eren," He was across the entrance and had his hand on the door latch. "Eren where are you going?" Her voice quietly floated through the air. The fine hair on the back of his hand pricked up, his skin itched. He was so close. The boy turned around to see Mikasa, still smeared with blood, at the top of the stairs. The white glow of the moonlight washed across pale face, yet gave her white teeth a strange pearly lustre. They gleamed brightly. Eren could just about make out her eyes - two black coals - set deep in ashy pits. Her mouth set open with the corners pulling down at, gave her face a terrified expression. A single tear trickled down her face. "Don't go!" She started down the stairs. But Eren was too fast, and had bolted out of the house; slamming the door behind him and charging down the empty street before Mikasa had even reached the bottom step. As he sprinted through the streets he heard a sad sob echoing across the hard pavement and concrete walls. It disappeared into the night, as did Eren.

 

            The boys footsteps rang out across the paved streets and alleyways. _Tap tap tap tap._ The heavy soles of his boots betrayed him in the darkness - but he did not care now. Eren just wanted to run until his lungs gave out. Luckily for him not a curtain twitched or window stirred. He raced through the new town, finally reaching the bridge. It was early in the morning now, and the shops had all shut long before 3'o' clock. The new area was just as quiet as it's old side. It was rather eerie and ghostly now, and an empty silence haunted the street. The once lively rows of shops - lit up with bright lights and people - now felt so empty and dark. Eren stopped for a minute at the bridge to catch his breath, panting hard. Maybe he could sit out on the bridge for a few hours until sunrise, he thought. But as he turned his gaze back to where he'd came, from he caught sight of a girl with black hair dragging her feet down the street. She was staring straight ahead at Eren, scratching at a red hand with her grubby fingernails. _Shit shit shit_. He leapt up again and started over the bridge. His feet banged hard on the wooden crossing, the sound echoing through the night. Reaching the other side, Eren turned around. The girl had stopped now at the other side of the bridge. He watched as she cried. "Eren," she called out to him. Despite her tears, Mikasa was perfectly capable of taking a step from the stone pavement of the town onto the bridge. The boy did not know why she did not do this and follow him, only that he was extremely lucky that she did not wish to do so. _Looks like I'll have to stay on this side of town for the rest of the night_. Eren decided that he would set up his tent on the very edge of town. That way he shouldn't run into any more creepy villagers or bandits either. It was the perfect spot until light came. Then he would leave this town, running far in the opposite direction. The boy sighed; he had wanted to stay here a lot longer.

 

            The traveller wondered through the old district. He wondered why no one lived here. The houses were traditionally made of wood and stone, and would have lasted a long time if it had not been for the neglected greenery that had taken over the structure of many houses. Although, Eren noticed that there were telephone lines criss-crossing in and out of the maze of streets; suggesting more recent habitation. Their thick cables were woven above his head, creating an elaborate spider's webs that obscured the view of the sky. Looking up, the brunette could see through the wires that it was a starless night. Eren wondered down the old cobbled streets. Some of the stones jutted out as tree roots had pushed them up out of their place, and he had to take care not to trip over them. Trees also grew amongst the ruins of some of the old houses, as well as in many of the empty, whole buildings. Their thick, dark branches held a suffocating grip over the woodwork, and they had crushed and mangled much of the original structure. He wondered how this had come to be, as trees this size must've taken a long time to grow. Finally coming to the edge of town, he decided to set up his tent safely behind some bushes.

 

            After about half an hour of setting up his tent, Eren was beat. He kicked off his boots, placing the knife beneath his jacket rolled up as a pillow. The tent was small and cold, but he felt much more at ease here. _It is definitely time to end my journey and go home now. I wonder what mom will make of my adventures._ He turned over and snuggled into his sleeping bag. His whole body ached. It sure had been a long day. _Mom?!_ Eren sat straight up. _The picture_. He quickly grabbed his rucksack and emptied the contents out onto the ground. Various bric-a-brac and camping oddities spewed onto the floor of the tent. Bits of fluff and ancient grains of sand from his previous travels sprinkled out of the untouched crevices of his bag. But no picture. He searched through the little pile of rubble, but with no luck. He had managed to leave his one most important possession at Mikasa's. Eren's eyes widened in fear. How could he have been so stupid? What if the girl got hold of it and went after his mother? He had visions of the girl finding the picture and cackling as she discovered it. _'You're next',_ she would say as she stroked the picture of his mother. After all, Eren had abandoned her, so it was possible that she could go after his mother in spite. Didn't she hate her own step-mother too? That one picture was the only piece of home and real comfort he had with him on his journey, and he knew he had to go back for it. But the young traveller was so tired, and he'd just set up his camp. It was still dark out, but in a few hours it would get light again. He stood up and placed his boots back on. The darkness would provide him with much needed a cloak of concealment; it was now or never.

 

            Eren unzipped the door of his tent and climbed out. The grass outside was already getting wet with dew. He drew his jacket around him as it was rather cold now. Closing the flap of his tent he called a 'door', the traveller made his way back into town. It was still just as quiet - just as eerie. But for some reason, he found it harder to see. The cold air seemed to have brought in a mist with it, and it clouded his vision. No worries; the street lights kept the area around him fairly visible. However, mist or no mist - the many streets and alleyways of the town created a labyrinth that was still very new to him. Stumbling forward, Eren realised the mist was much thicker now. He could only make out the shadows of sharp corners of buildings. Tall shadows of the lamp posts and telephone poles appeared as though they were the silhouettes of people watching him pass along. The fog was choking him now; burning his lungs and making his skin itch. Eren comforted himself that it was only his paranoia making this gentle mist seem much worse. After only a few minutes, he realised he could no longer see. The streets lights did not help anymore; only illuminating the thick fog with an faint, orange glow. Eren's lungs still cried out for air. The boy put it down to some industrial smog rolling into the valley from a nearby town. But he didn't remember seeing any towns or factories nearby on the map. Little did he know that this _'smog'_ was much more toxic than he cared to think. The traveller's foot hit something hard and he fell forward. At first he thought he'd fallen over on a jutting cobble, however, Eren realised that he had tripped over on some steps. As he got up, rubbing his sore knees and palms, day light finally broke - and with it the mist. Sunlight swirled through the thick fog which shortly evaporated and begun disappear into thin air. The boy looked up the steps to see a wooden red gateway looming up at the top. The horizon began to fade from a deep, inky, blue to a much lighter shade - the outline of the red gate at the top of the hill now visible against the paling sky. Eren realise he had managed to get lost by the town shrine. He decided to climb the steps, as he'd get a better view of the town on the small hill that the shrine rested on. As he reached the top, his vision and lungs were finally clear as the mist had was now gone completely, almost as quickly as it had come.

 

            A loud, metal bell began to clang. The clamour upset some crows nearby; they squawked loudly and took off suddenly. Eren put up his arms in a defensive manner.

"Argh!" He flapped his own arms about as the birds flew close over his head. They crowed back as they disappeared into the forest at the edge of town. The bell stopped ringing, and when the boy went to look he found no one nearby. _Strange,_ he thought to himself. He pulled the rope attached to the bell. It rang again, just like it had done before. Surely someone must've been here to ring the bell. Eren looked around again. Still, no one in sight. He rung the bell once more for fun, and then remembered that the villagers of this town were not _quite_ so friendly, and considered it best to shut up. _So strange._ Eren thought back to the people he'd met at the restaurant. Sascha, Connie and Marco had all seemed so normal. Maybe Mikasa was just an exception? And even taking into consideration the thugs on the edge of town, it was perfectly normal for there to be bandits on the outskirts; trying to pick pocket un suspecting travellers such as Eren. But Armin. Well, Armin was a little strange after all. Even more so than Mikasa.

 

            Eren looked around the shrine. He tried the door however; it was shut firmly. The wooden entrance would not budge as he pulled and pushed at the handle. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the paved courtyard in front of the shrine. Looking down, the boy suddenly noticed something carved into the red, wooden pillar at the bottom. He crouched down to take a closer look - a pointed finger tracing the outline of the carving. It was a sad face etched into the wood. Although simple, it still flooded Eren with the all too familiar feelings of loneliness that he had often felt on the road. He had no friends here, and he was far, far away from home. But before Eren could sit there for much longer feeling sorry for himself, his depression was interrupted.

 

            A hand placed itself on the boys shoulder. Gasping, he sprung up and around, simultaneously grabbing the knife out of his boot. He grabbed the intruder by the scruff of the neck; white knuckles pressing through his skin on the other hand as he gripped the knife tight, as though his life depended on it (although here, his life might really depend on it). His eyes narrowed as he looked down upon the tiny, dark eyes that had been glaring at him just earlier that night.

"You..." Eren snarled. His face was close to the strange man's, glaring intensely. It was the teacher, and he returned Eren's aggression with a simple smirk. The short man put his arms up; he was not armed. The boy patted the mans jacket down with one hand, causing his dark eyes to roll, before he put him back down. He kept the knife at arms length in front of him; the blade although thin, created a large safe space between him and the man.

 

 

"Rather late at night to be out, don't you think young man?" Despite being shorter, it appeared as though the teacher was looking down at him. Eren detected a hint of amusement in his eyes, which made his blood boil even more.

"What does it matter to you? Creep." His eyebrows knitted together.

"Creep?" He laughed. "That is a harsh accusation for a teacher. You should learn better than to disrespect your elders". Suddenly the man had grabbed Eren's arm, twisting it around and behind his back. The boy cried out and dropped the blade, a harsh metallic sound clanged out as it hit the ground. The teacher pulled Eren into his chest, whispering in his ear. "You should also learn better to be much more careful around here". His hand slid slowly across Eren's chest. The boy gasped and reddened a little, his skin prickling at the touch. Levi let go of his arm and stepped backwards, suddenly whipping his wondering hand out of Eren's jacket pocket and along with it; his passport. He snapped it open and looked at the old picture of a dishevelled boy, frowning at the camera. The teacher smirked.

"Eren Jaeger is it?" His dark eyes locked onto those of the brunette. "1996. So you're 17? Not an adult yet" The short man flipped shut the passport and handed it back to the boy, who snatched it out of his hand and shoved it back into his jacket pocket. "And tell me, Eren, what were you doing out at this time of night?"

"None of your damned business that's what." The teacher raised his eyebrows.

"Calm down princess." Eren crossed his arms and glared. _Princess?!_ "It's just I can't let a minor like you be out on the streets at night. You know there is a curfew for everyone - not just for kiddies like you. How long have you been out for?"

"I...I am not sure. Not too long. Maybe an hour or so?" The boy kicked at the stone with the toe of his boot in annoyance. _Kiddie?!_

"An hour?!" The teacher looked shocked for once; his tiny eyes narrowing even more, even though Eren didn't think that was possible. "Did you see anything...unusual?"

"Unusual?" Eren asked. _Great. More freaky shit._ "Apart from my psycho host?!" His voice grew louder.

"Quiet, Eren." The man snapped. "Were you in the old part of town around 4.30 a.m.?" He lifted up his jacket sleeve to reveal a plain, white faced watch with a bland black leather strap. "I mean it's only 4.50 now so..."

"Well I guess. That would explain the bell ringing to say it was half past then..."

"And you didn't notice anything strange?!" The boy was not certain, but he thought he could detect a slight panic in the teacher's eyes.

"Well, actually there was this really thick fog. Like choking thick" He drew his hands up to his neck as the memory played in his head. "You guys need to sort that out. It must break a lot of environmental laws. I couldn't see at all...but luckily it cleared after a while..." Eren's voice trailed off as he watched the man turn away from him, his shoulders rising and falling in an exasperated sigh.

"Great..." The man moaned, a hand running through his thick, dark hair. "So you were here when there was the fog..." There was silence for a moment as the man stared out into the dark. Finally he turned around and grabbed Eren's arm.

"It's not safe to stay here. You're going to stay with me for the rest of tonight and tomorrow until we can sort you out some accommodation. I live in a teacher's apartment, but I'll sleep on the couch for now. You'll need the rest." Eren pulled his arm away.

"Hey! Who says I should go with you?! I don't even know your name!" If he had learned anything here, it was definitely to trust no one.

"As you wish, _Princess_. My name is Levi Ackerman. But to ungrateful sods like you it's Mr. Ackerman. At least in public, okay? And the reason you can't stay here is because of the fog. That's why we have a curfew; it's a toxic mist coming off the lake." He was getting impatient now, his voice getting angrier. Levi tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for Eren to come with him.

"Oh of course! I know your name now. Thank you. Now I can definitely trust you." The brunette scoffed. "I'll just stay on the edge of the new town then I-"

"Listen here you little shit." Levi grabbed the boy's wrist again and pulled him towards him. Eren could feel his breath hot on his face. He stared at the man's widened eyes and flaring nostrils - suddenly wishing he'd stayed at Mikasa's now. This teacher was not manic like the girl; but he was smart and surprisingly strong - making him all the more dangerous than some crazy school girl his own age.

 

            The boy squirmed away from the man. "People of this village don't want stupid hermits like you living on the edge of town. This is a nice town, but there are rules here. Some rules not all of us like but we have to play by them. So if you want to _get along_ here, then you'd best come with me." He let go of the boy's wrist. Eren looked at the pavement, realising the importance and hidden meaning of the _get along_ part. Obviously Mikasa was not the only crazy exception to this town. He had heard rumours about this town - dark, dark rumours -, they were only snippets of whispers and secrets he had heard sitting in the back of pubs and inns on his journey, but he would never have believed them to be true. Only now did he begin to wonder. He definitely did not want to get on the wrong side of the inhabitants of Hinamizawa.

"But I left something important at Mikasa's. I need to get it back-"

"-Eren, I'm sorry; but now is not the time. You can get it back soon, whatever it is that you want."

"But I'll be leaving tomorrow anyway!"

"Really?" Levi shoved his small but nimble hands into his trouser pockets and began to walk down the shrine steps. He looked up at the early morning light. The sun's rays splashed crimson against the thickening, grey clouds. "I don't know about that." The brunette ran after him down the stone steps.

"What do you mean?"

The teacher pointed up above him, "red sky in the morning; there a storm coming. You won't be able to travel tomorrow, or the day after that at least." Eren sighed - defeated. He might as well go with the teacher and stay at his apartment for a day or two. If he turned out to be like Mikasa, then he could always run away again.

"Hurry up, it's not safe to be here at night." Levi glanced suspiciously around him. The boy followed him through the old streets. The stonework adopted a strange, red hue to it thanks to the morning sun.

"God everyone in this town is so paranoid. What is it with everyone" He cringed as he realised he spoke out loud. But Levi did not scold him.

"Something to do with the mist and old superstitions" he mumbled, his breath swirling in a cloud of vapour as it cooled in the morning air. Eren decided not to press any further. He wanted to know as little about this strange town as possible - he planned on leaving it as soon as he could now - instead of staying for the festival - and forgetting about the whole thing. The boy shoved his own blue fingers into his jacket pockets to warm them up. It was summer, but the stony, smooth town was so cold. _And so unwelcoming._ Eren zipped up his jacket and buried his chin into the collar for warmth and security as he walked along with the teacher into the early morning.

 

            By the time they reached Levi's apartment, the sky had already turned to a pale pink. Levi - the teacher- lived in a tall apartment block. It was grey just like all the other buildings in the town, but built in such a modern fashion that it was not too heavy on the eye. Unlike the old area, all the cables were underground, and Eren had a clear view of the sky. Looking up, he could see that the clouds were becoming more ashen as they grew heavy with water. The cold morning had begun to warm up a little as they had walked through town. And despite it only being around 5 a.m. the delicious freshness of the morning air was already being lost to a muggy humidity. The short man pulled a key card out of his pocket and swiped it down a number pad. A glowing red bulb on the side turned green, followed by a little click. Then the doors at the front of the building slid open, allowing the two of them to step inside to a small, uninteresting lobby. Levi led him over to a lift, where the two of them spent the journey up four floors in silence. Finally, the doors slid open with a chiming sound, and a female voice cheerfully informed them that they had reached the fourth floor. Eren followed the man to a door numbered _2_ where he took out an actual key to fit into the lock. _So not everything in this town is so fancy and modern._ He smirked to himself, comparing the luxury and ease that the inhabitants of Hinamizawa lived in compared to the humble life he lived back in Trost. The boy followed Levi into his home, his mouth widening slightly in awe of the place.

 

            First thing first; it was immaculate. Not just clean - but _immaculate_. Even back at home when his mother had cleaned and kept a good and tidy home, his cottage could not even begin to compare to Levi's apartment. Eren could literally see his face sparkling in the surface of the toaster and glass oven door. Not to mention, there was barely a personal item in sight. At least at Mikasa's there were simple decorations of vases, photos, paintings and other personal items. Here, there were a few books and magazines, but apart from that most of the shelves were empty, and tables bare.

"Home sweet home" Levi sung as he twirled the keys around his finger before hanging them neatly on a coat peg by the door. He slid off his shoes on the mat by the door and placed them in a little, elevated stand for shoes underneath the coat pegs. Eren continued to stare in awe at the teacher's tidiness. _My god talk about being anal. I really do feel like a hermit now._ The boy stepped forward, hanging his jacket up and walking into the living space.

 

            Levi's apartment was open plan - a little like Mikasa's house. The kitchen, dining area and lounge area all shared the open space that greeted the occupant when they came in. Eren could see 3 doors leading off; two open and one shut. Through the open doors he could see that one room was a bathroom, the other a double bedroom. Whatever was behind the final and shut door could not be seen. But Eren prayed it was not another freaky, trashed alter like the one Mikasa kept.

"Hey!" The man suddenly hissed, pointing a finger to the boys feet. He swore he could see the hairs standing up on the back of his neck. "Shoes!" He spat out. Eren looked down at his boots, and realised that he had trodden on the beautiful cream carpet in his outdoor shoes. He jumped back onto the mat and took them off, shoving them awkwardly onto the shelf with the others. He watched Levi cringe. The man ran over and rearranged the shoes into a neat order, before inspecting the carpet.

"I'll have to hoover again tomorrow" He sighed, glaring at Eren. The boy however, could not see any dirt at all. _Please let his OCD cleaning be his only weird quality._ The boy prayed, _psychopaths don't have OCDs right?_ He chewed at a fingernail.

 

 Levi pushed the brunette in the direction of the bedroom.

"Here's your new room, Princess. All nice and clean. But not for long..." he grumbled, still glaring at the dishevelled brunette. "I'll be out here sleeping on the couch." He slipped his jacket off and hung it over a chair, picking a blanket up from one of the armchairs that faced his fancy flat screen. "Oh, and be quiet" He put a finger over his lips. "I'm not the only one who lives here" He pointed the finger to the shut door. Eren turned to the shut door and sighed in relief that behind it was not some sort of secret basement, or worse.

"I don't have any change of clothes" The boy turned around and grimaced as he tugged at his damp shirt.

"Borrow some of mine." Levi said, pulling his shirt off over his head. "I may be small, but I have a bigger frame than your scrawny one." He smirked. Eren's eyes widened as they trailed the man's perfectly sculpted and buff torso.

"Uh...O-okay!" He blushed and ran over to the bedroom, shutting the door quickly behind him. _This guy is meant to be a teacher?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops so I had a little Hiatus. Just been lacking a lot of motivation. I am really bad at carrying on with stuff once it has been started. I had no trouble typing out and proofing chapter 2 in a day or two, but this chapter has taken me about a week just to get out. I blame the diet Coke withdrawal :P 
> 
> All hail the glow cloud. I mean fog. Hinamizawa fog...


	4. Fish like little silver knives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren makes it to the next day still alive (somehow). But unfortunately he cannot run on sheer luck forever as his attempts to finally leave the crazy town of Hinamizawa are ruined, and he must spend another day there. During this time though, the teenager discovers a secret or two about the town. Awkward run ins with people he has met also included.

            Morning came at last. Eren woke up as if he had slept all night despite the meagre 3 hours he'd gotten. Underneath him, he felt his body comfortably resting in the indents of the luxury foam mattress. He stretched out his arms and legs, running his finger tips over the soft cover of the duvet. It had been a while since he had slept in a bed this comfortable. A mellow sunlight came through the curtains and bathed the room in a warm, gentle glow. Everything seemed gentle and hazy here. A smile crept its way across his face.

"Get up loser" Eren's peace was disturbed by a UFO hurtling fast towards his face. It was a t-shirt. After being hit by the precisely thrown shirt, he turned to face the intruder. The small, angry man was standing in the door, his arms folded. He was already washed and dressed; Eren was not. "I have to leave in half an hour. Got to go to this thing called _work._ " He tutted under his breath. _Jeeze, ungrateful kid._ "Can't have you hanging around the apartment whilst I'm not here." Levi left, shutting the door behind him. "Half an hour", his voice muffled through the door. Eren rubbed the crud from his eyes and finally swung his legs over the side of the bed, slowly getting up and his arms up above him to stretch out his whole body. The warmth of the duvet slid away from him, revealing his bare skin to the cold of the morning. The traveller remembered then, just why he was here. A depression swept back over him. _Oh right, I'm stuck in a crazy town._ He sighed. Although it was very tempting, Eren decided that going back to bed would not be productive (or safe). He pulled the t-shirt on - navy blue - and wriggled into his trousers. The socks, although smelly, found their way back onto his feet too.

 

            Eren pushed open the bedroom door and entered the main space of the apartment. He could smell bacon cooking. His stomach grumbled with the sound of an angry lion. Hunching over to cover the almighty gurgle coming from his stomach, Eren walked over to the kitchen, and took up a seat at the island counter and eagerly awaited breakfast. Levi was busy frying, too busy in fact to acknowledge Eren apparently. Finally he turned around and pushed some bacon and fried egg onto a plate. He couldn't help but notice that the small man was wearing a white, frilled edge apron over his clothes. Eren began to smirk but looked away hurriedly when he saw the glare that he was receiving. As he looked down to his plate, a wave of nausea hit him. For some reason, his food was not appetising to him at all. It was the bacon. Yes, the dead pig. The bacon.

 

            The fried flesh reminded him of the men he had killed the day before; the pink glistening with fat and juices. He could not even find any solace in the egg; the yolk popping and spilling yellow goo all over the cooked meat and bleach white white. Eren wrinkled his nose and pushed the plate away.

"Not hungry?" Levi asked him. He waited a moment, finding the best answer he could that wouldn't insult his host and result in having a spatula or kitchen knife thrown at him.

"Um...Still a little shaken up by all that has happened." He answered. At least it was half of the truth.

"That friend of yours, Mikasa, she sure was angry over something."

"Yeah, well she started acting crazy from the moment I went to her house."

Levi looked at Eren for a moment.

"You're a traveller, aren't you?"

"Uhh, yes." He wondered how this man knew that he was not a citizen. But the flash in Levi's eyes showed he was about to reveal this. "How did you-"

"I'm a teacher you see. I know all those under 18 in this district. And you, Eren..."

"Jaeger." The man's eyebrows knitted together a little as he heard his surname. _Does he hate foreigners or something?_

"You, Eren _Jaeger_ , are definitely not on any register."

"I see. That's a shame. Thought you were some smart sorta brainbox like Sherlock Holmes or something for a moment. After all, you _had_ to have been stalking me last night to have found me out on the other side of town..."

"I _am_ smart, kid." Levi narrowed his eyes. His forked scraped on the plate, creating an ugly screech. "And you better thank your lucky stars that I was there to help you last night. Otherwise-" He stabbed his fork into the bacon and ripped off a piece of the cooked flesh. Chewing it for a few seconds, he then swallowed and continued, "You'd be dead meat." Eren watched him eat him bacon for a moment.

"Yeah I guess."

" _Yeah I guess"_ The man mimicked.

"Okay, thank you. Thank you for saving me, taking me in, and most of all; not killing me-".

"How do you know I'm not going to kill you though."

"What?"

"I'm just messing with you, kid." Levi smirked. "But tell me this. How do you know Mikasa?"

"Oh...ummm" Eren felt sweat drops begin to swell on his skin, his spine went cold. He tried to silence the sudden pounding of his heart. _Be cool. Be cool._ "We um...we met in the forest."

"In the forest?" The man put his fork down.

"We weren't doing anything suspicious!" Eren clamped a hand over his mouth as he blurted this out. Levi raised an eyebrow. _Great, he probably thinks I was up to some weird sex thing in the bushes with that girl. Jeeze._ But instead, the man continued with his questioning.

"On the other side of town?"

"I'm not sure I-"

"Which forest was it?" Levi leant a little closer to Eren and put a hand on his shoulder, "this is important. Tell me, Eren. Which forest were you in?" his eyes widened slightly, eyebrows knitted together. What was the look on his face? Was it surprise - no. Horror even? But before Eren could answer, the door to the other bedroom in the apartment opened, and out stepped the burly blond that had also appeared last night at the pub. The man looked at Eren, then back at Levi - his face emotionless.

"This is?" He looked towards Eren.

"This is Eren." Levi tapped the hand that had previously been gripping the teenager's shoulder and withdrew it back to his cutlery. "And Eren, this is Erwin."

"Nice to meet you." He tried to smile at the man, but instead he was ignored. Erwin instead walked over to the fridge, taking out a carton of orange juice and drinking straight from the carton. Eren felt the short man tense up. The only thing that penetrated the silence was the noisy chugs of Erwin drinking the milk. The teenager watched the man's Adam's apple bob back and forth as he swallowed. Putting the carton back in the fridge - the whole room still silent since his entrance - Erwin walked over to the door, put on his shoes and grabbed a brown leather jacket off of the hooks.

"I'm off to work. I'll see you later." He looked towards Levi, but Levi was not looking at him. Erwin waited for a moment before leaving the flat - shutting the door firmly behind him.

"Um. So that guy. Is he your - "

"Back to the forest, kid." Levi picked up his half-finished meal and began to loudly scrape the remains into a food waste bin. Eren winced at the sound of the metal cutlery grinding against the plate.

"Okay, it was the forest on the old part of town. I was just camping out there. And look, why does it matter?"

"It matters a lot." Levi washed up the plates in silence. The teenager thought that he'd upset him by not answering his question. After all, this man knew nothing about the two men he'd killed in the forest. Nobody did, and if he stopped acting so damn suspicious all the time then it'd all be okay. The man turned off the tap and turned around to Eren; leaning back on the counter. "Listen up. There's a lot of strange things about this town. Things that to an outsider, might even be quite horrifying. Now, I don't know why you're here - nobody comes here. But, I have my suspicions. Just remember Eren, trust no one but yourself."

"Then what about yo-"

"Oh and the roads are shut for today. Road works..." Levi turned around and dried the plates with a tea towel. "You won't be able to leave town until tomorrow lunch time."

"Another day?!" Eren clenched his fists. _Shit, stuck here for another day? I hope that's all. I'm not ready for this. I want to go back. I don't care about staying here anymore. Why did I even think this would be a good idea?!_ Levi neatly folded the tea towel and hung it on a small peg.

"Well, time to leave then. Go hang around town like the teenage delinquent you were born to be, Eren Jaeger." He snorted and then begun to put his shoes on. The teenager smiled and followed him, shoving his own feet into the muddy boots he'd left by the door.

 

 

            "So, I'll meet you by the shrine at 3 p.m., okay?" The short man was glancing at his watch, and Eren could tell he needed to leave.

"Sure. Got nothing better to do, I guess."

"Good. There's something I want to show you. _Don't_ be late." Before the boy could say anything, the teacher had dashed off down the street to work. After all, he was already 5 minutes late for being half an hour early. Eren watched him disappear around a corner of new, grey houses. Sighing, he shoved his hands in his pockets and found a small rock to kick about. Stuck here for another day; he had nothing to do now except avoid Mikasa.

"Eren..." He turned around at the mention of his name. He recognised the voice straight away, and as he turned around he recognised the face. She had crept up on him so silently, just as she had done before.

"Mikasa..." He glared at the girl.

"Eren, please. I can explain." She reached out towards him. But Eren was out of there; ducking away from her hand and running round the corner of the street and down a row of houses. His boots pounded the pavement, his heart pounded his chest. Finally Eren stopped by a bench and listened. She hadn't bothered to follow him. The teenager sat down on the bench and waited for his heavy breathing to slow down. The teenager wondered why she hadn't bothered to follow him. Had she given up? But surely, a psychopath like her would relish the opportunity of a chase. Wasn't cat and mouse her thing? A minute or so later, his breathing had returned to normal. He decided to go wonder some more around town. But as Eren turned his head, he saw that someone had been standing there the whole time, watching him on the bench.

 

 

            The blonde boy stood wide eyed, staring at the teenager. Eren was worried the boy's icy blue eyes would pop out of their sockets.

"Oh, hello." Silence. "You were at dinner last night." He smiled. "Uh, I'm sorry I don't remember your name though." The blue eyed boy dashed over to Eren and sat right down next to him.

"I'm Armin," He squeeked, "I-uh....Don't worry about forgetting my name." He smiled and blushed at Eren, holding a hand out. The teenager clasped the outstretched hand and shook it,

"And I'm Eren"

"I know", Armin blushed a little and quickly retracted his hand, looking at it curiously. Eren glanced down at his own hand, wondering if he had anything on it. But his hand was the same old hand. He looked back up to Armin who was stroking his hand.

"Sorry I didn't meant to hurt you. Did I hurt your hand or something?..." The boy looked offended.

"No" He shoved his hands into his pockets. Eren noticed that he was wearing what must be the school uniform for the district - Armin's hands having disappeared into the pockets of plain black trousers. On top he was wearing a grey, oversized jersey sweatshirt; a strange emblem embroidered on it. It was like two outstretched wings crossing over each other, over the top of a shield. Although Armin had chosen to wear black trousers, at the moment the boys in the year had decided that actually, navy blue trousers were much more on point. But he didn't really care for what was in fashion or not. To be honest, all he cared about right now was the strange traveller who had wondered into Hinamizawa. Eren wished that he could have a school uniform too. To belong somewhere would be nice. Even back at home he didn't really belong. He spent most of his time with his mother. _God I'm such a sad person._

 

 

            Eren watched Armin shuffle his polished, black brogues about on the gravel path.

"So...", he looked at the blonde kid, who looked back at him and just smiled nervously. Eren waited a moment. "Shouldn't you be at school?"

"Oh...I." A small hand appeared again out of the his pockets, then out of the massive sleeves. Armin checked his watch and then hid his hand away again. "Oh...no...It's okay. I have, like, 10 minutes or so..."

"Really?"

"Yeah sure." The two of them waited in awkward silence; Armin shuffling his feet about and breathing heavily, glancing towards Eren every so often. The traveller sat tapping his fingers on the bench and desperately searching for a point of conversation. "Well," blue eyes suddenly squeaked again, "I'd better get going." He got up and turned around to Eren. "Bye..." He smiled and then ran off in the direction of the school.

_Well that went well..._

 

 

            After spending most of his morning wondering around town and inspecting the shops, houses and greenery it was almost 3 p.m. It was about the 21st time that Eren had checked the town clock that day, and the hands of it were finally pointing to 2.40. The teenager rejoiced a little and ran along to the shrine in order to avoid the rush of school students (and hopefully Mikasa). The town, being newly built was agonisingly boring to look at, and the teenager thought that he might die if he had to wonder around it for much longer. Eren hurdled straight through the new town, straight over the bridge, and straight through the winding paths of the old town. Despite taking care not to trip on any loose cobble stones, he still arrived at the shrine about 10 minutes later. He felt a little excited, as this time he would actually get to climb the steps and see it. Eren sprinted up to the top and turned around. It hadn't seemed that steep, but the shrine was surprisingly high up. From here there was a perfect view of the old and new village. To his right he could see the edge of the forest he'd arrived in, and the massive diggers and machinery that had assembled on the path he was meant to leave on. They didn't look finished at all. Eren groaned and sunk down onto the top step, putting his head in his hands. The red wooden gate of the shrine loomed over the top step above him.

_It's okay. They'll be done soon. I can go home soon. Everything will be back to normal soon. I'll see mother soon. I'll be away from here soon._

Eren's mantra was disturbed by the arrival of Levi. He could tell he was there, because despite his short size, the dark haired man still managed to block out the light. The teenager looked up and returned the frown.

"You're actually on time", Levi raised an eyebrow and sat down next to Eren. He started to rummage inside his bag for something. "Didn't think you'd even show up."

"What do you take me for?" Eren huffed, offended.

"I'm just messing with you, kid." He pulled out a knife. Eren looked at the man. But Levi simply put the knife down next to him and went back to rummaging in his bag. The teenager watched the knife nervously. Finally, a bowl and a pomegranate were also extracted from Levi's satchel.

"Wow, teacher much?" Eren poked a finger towards the warn, brown satchel.

"Oi, watch it kid." He picked up the knife and with a quick, deft movement, sliced the pomegranate in half. Flipping the knife; the dark haired man knocked loudly on the varnished casing of the fruit with the hard wooden handle. _Tap tap tap._ The seeds encase in the glassy, ruby flesh of the fruit tumbled into the bowl like gems. They nestled together looking deliciously firm and juicy. "Go ahead, I don't suspect you've eaten today." Levi continued to knock out the rest of the seeds. Eren gratefully took a handful and stuffed them into his mouth. He'd always loved the way in which although soft, the seeds were resistant to some force. Most fruit was squishy, but these were almost hard. They popped deliciously in his mouth and rehydrated his parched tongue. Eren grinned at Levi, the red of the seeds slobbered over his teeth. After a while, the teacher was satisfied with his efforts, and put the knife back in the bag. He finally took a handful of pomegranate seeds, popping them one by one into his mouth. The two of them sat in silence for a while, eating the fruit.

"Why does everyone love pomegranate," Levi began to ask, "when really it tastes so bitter." He threw another seed into his mouth. Eren munched a few and then replied,

"they're beautiful really, I guess. And they don't always taste bitter, just strange."

"But does anyone really like them?"

"I don't know." The teenager finished a few more and then decided he'd had enough. The pomegranate was living up to what Levi had said, and Eren had furry and acrid taste left in his mouth now.

"These seeds; they're like Hinamizawa", the short man lifted one up and began to scrutinise it in between his thumb and forefinger. He held it close to his dark brown eyes. "Pretty and inviting. They taste okay at first, but after a while you get this foul taste." He squished the fruit and licked the juice and flesh off of his thumb.

"Why do I get the feeling that there is something about this town I am missing?"

Levi laughed at this.

"There is a lot about this town that you are missing. And I think that has something to do with as to why you are here," he turned to Eren, his eyebrows raised.

"Sort of." It was true, there was information here that he was seeking. However, he didn't realise that there were a lot more secrets here than he had anticipated. It was this overwhelming amount of unknown that was sending the teenager running back from where he had came from.

"Well then, as I have decided to help you I suppose I ought to enlighten you a little", he chucked a handful of seeds into his mouth.

"You would do that for me?". Eren looked out onto the town. It was so snug and hidden amongst the thick perimeter of trees that ran alongside the outskirts of the town.

"Why not." He smirked, "but in return I expect you to do something for me." He turned towards Levi. But Eren could not read his face. Was he really genuine or not?

"And what would that thing be?"

"There are a _lot_ of things about this town that even _I_ don't know." Eren snorted at this.

"Don't know everything then do you, teacher." Levi's eyes flashed, in an instant he had grabbed the teenager by the scruff of his hair, pulling him into a head lock. Eren's rough hands clasped at the edge of the stone steps. "Hey, that hurts." The teenager clawed at the arms that squeezed his neck and face.

"Listen here pigshit. I don't want to tell you this again, okay? In this town you gotta watch who you mess with; and I'm not one to mess with. But as an ally? That's what you want me as. I told you before that it is best to stay with me. So shut up or I'm out of here, and you're on your own." Eren listened to his own ragged breath hiss through his teeth. Levi finally let go of Eren who rubbed at his burning scalp.

"Okay, okay. I get it, geeze. Why do you always have to be so rough?"

"Now, if you're done insulting me," the man patted out the creases from his jacket sleeves, "I will tell you a little bit about the girl you had a run in with."

"Mikasa?"

"Yes, Mikasa Ackerman."

 

             "Mikasa's family were related to mine. We are both cousins. To begin with, she was a normal happy girl. I used to play with her when she was little; both our father's were teachers and worked early in the day until late. I understood very well what it was like to be a lonely, only child. When our parents weren't working, they were busy doing charity events, lesson plans or tutoring. Neither of us saw them that much. Back then, Mikasa used to live on the old side of town. That was, until her mother died. Something to do with toxic spores off the lake. After that, the environmental scientists deemed the old side unsafe and everyone there had to move out. I got my job as teacher and didn't have as much time to see her. In the end we only saw each other every once in a while. Although we grew apart, she did tell me one or two things about her passion; her hatred for her new stepmother, Evelyn. This new woman was not like Mikasa's mother in the slightest. From what I heard, a regular routine of abuse crept in as her father worked his long hours and busy weekends. It was easy for Evelyn. You see, Mikasa cared too much about her father's health to have him worry about her. She thought he'd think she was weak. This carried on for a long time until she flipped. I heard from the other teachers that the parents had moved out all of a sudden, away from Hinamizawa, leaving Mikasa behind. We offered her boarding at the school owned flats, but she refused; wanting to stay at her home. It was totally illegal to let her live by herself, but there was nothing else we could do. Besides we thought it would be better for her - she was already quite an independent girl.

 

            Although I'm not her tutor, I bump into her sometimes at school. She is always fuming. All she talks about is vengeance. Mikasa was a little crazy at first, but something changed in her. Obviously her outburst had set something free inside and made her turn psycho. And then of course you came along. Maybe she saw something in you. After all, it must get quite lonely. She always did want another sibling. But what you must understand is that Mikasa has not loved in a long time. When she sees you she doesn't understand how to channel her feelings of love for you. She can't bear this, and obviously turns to violence and rage which is familiar to her. I can't say that she won't hurt you again, and that if you forgive her and get to know her she won't lash out all of a sudden, but she _does_ like you Eren."

 

            As Levi told him about Mikasa, Eren found his chest winding tighter and tighter. He felt a sudden sadness as he too had always wanted a sibling. Mikasa's naive love for him hurt him so much because understood that loneliness. As a traveller he spent a lot of time by himself. Eren had not socialised with people his own age for a long time. At least these feelings reinforced why the teenager was in Hinamizawa in the first place; for own family - his mother. He had unfinished business here. But all the sob stories in the world could not make Eren stay in that god forbidden town. The attempted murder, the strange people, the undiscovered secrets brought on an anxiety too great for him to handle. Yes Mikasa might need someone like him, but she had also tried to murder him. The boy was caught up in a world he did not understand, and still wished to leave as soon as possible. Eren sighed.

"Well I guess that explains a few things."

"I'm afraid right now it's all I can tell you."

"I know", The teenager stood up, putting his hands in his pockets and walking off towards the shrine.

"Where are you going?" Eren did not reply. Levi stood up and watched the teenager walk away. He decided that Eren probably needed some space and lingered at the wooden gate. The brunette carried on until he came to the actual buildings of the shrine. They were small, but elaborately decorated buildings. There were three arranged in a U shape. In front of the Shrine opposite him was a large Koi pond. Eren walked over, crouching down like a small child to gaze at the fish. They swirled effortlessly through the clear water, the flakes of their scales catching the sunlight above. The teenager was aware that Levi had also come up to look at the pond. Eren buried his face into his knees.

         "You know, the fish are much more impressive if you actually look at them", The brunette glared at Levi, then turned back at the pond. The fish were quite mesmerising, he supposed. The way in which they moved was slightly calming. Up above them, a cloud passed over the sun, suddenly dulling the shining fish. Then, as if the sky had a switch and someone had turned on the lights, the cloud moved and the sunlight shone through the air quickly again. brightening the earth. Eren fell back onto his feet as one of the Koi glinted silver. Then with a flick of its tail, it passed back into the shadow at the edge of the pond. The teenager remained sat on his butt, stupefied.

"What's wrong?" Levi stood with his arms crossed.

"I just remembered" Eren stuttered.

"Remembered? Remembered what?" The short man tried to urge him. As the fish has shone, the boy found himself suddenly reminded of the way the knife glittered as he sliced and killed one of the men in the woods. He remembered the way the adrenaline rushed through him. He was terrified but at the same time exhilarated. He shook his head, and slowly stood up. Eren brushed the sandy dust off of his trousers.

"Levi...Have you ever taken pleasure in something you knew was wrong? Something you knew you shouldn't have been doing?" The teenager looked at Levi with a pained expression. But he did not answer. Instead the man looked Eren up and down once, his eyebrow raised in his usual fashion. Then he walked off.

_Shit, he definitely thinks I've done some weird sex thing in the wood now with Mikasa._

Eren ran off after the man.

"C'mon slow poke. We've got dinner to make when we get back." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long in between posting! I have been so busy with uni work. But I finish late December with a month off and no exams after, so expect a torrent of chapter updates!


End file.
